§ MR. WHALLEYasked Mr. Attorney General, with reference to the Petitions which have been presented to this House as to the conduct of the Court of Queen's Bench in respect of Contempt of Court in the Tichborne case, Whether he has any objection to propose that a Committee be appointed to inquire into and report upon the allegations as to misconduct on the part of the Judges in that respect; and especially to inquire into and report upon the charges specifically stated in the Petitions from Peterborough?
THE ATTORNEY GENERALSir, I have to state first, that I have no intention of proposing the appointment of a Committee to inquire into and report upon the allegations contained in the Petitions presented to the House imputing misconduct to the Judges of the Court of Queen's Bench in respect of the cases of Contempt of Court which occurred during the progress of the Tichborne trial; secondly, that, while I desire to pay respectful attention to the contents of all such Petitions presented to the House as are brought to my notice, I feel that I should be failing in my duty were I to propose the appointment of a Committee of the House to inquire into the allegations referred to by the hon. Member, but which appear to me to be based upon a perversion or misapprehension of the true state of the facts; and, thirdly, that I see no reason for any exception from the views which I have just expressed in respect of the charges referred to by the hon. Member as being specificially stated in the Petitions from Peterborough.